The Federal Government has exempted universities, polytechnics, colleges of education, and other tertiary institutions from the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS).
This announcement, made by Minister Mohammed Idris after the Federal Executive Council meeting in Abuja on Wednesday, signifies a significant shift in payroll management for these institutions.
The decision comes as a response to concerns raised by these educational bodies, citing IPPIS limitations in granting them administrative autonomy.
Minister Idris highlighted that henceforth, remunerations to staff in these institutions will no longer be processed through IPPIS but managed independently by the universities and tertiary institutions.
On his part, the Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman, clarified that this move did not reflect the integrity of IPPIS or similar systems.
He noted that the goal is to enable better management of public educational institutions nationwide, granting them the freedom to oversee their personnel management as per the laws governing their autonomy.
IPPIS, introduced by the Federal Government in 2006 for efficient personnel record-keeping, aimed to enhance transparency and accountability in salary payments.
However, opposition from the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) emerged, citing concerns that IPPIS did not accommodate the unique aspects of academic work and undermined university autonomy.
ASUU proposed an alternative, the University Transparency and Accountability Solution (UTAS), tailored to address the specific needs of the university system.
ASUU argued that IPPIS centralization impeded the universities’ governing councils’ effective management of personnel and payroll, affecting strategic planning and institutional autonomy.
Despite the government’s previous attempts to enforce IPPIS, ASUU has continued to advocate for UTAS.
